


hold onto me so you don't float away

by braytray



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: AKA my take on the typical way fic writers usually kill Max in AUs, Alternate Universe, Angst, Car Accidents, Character Death, Grief/Mourning, Hospitals, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, this is like a rite of passage for fic writers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-24
Updated: 2019-03-24
Packaged: 2019-11-29 01:47:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18216557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/braytray/pseuds/braytray
Summary: Alec was driving the car, they were only a few minutes away from the restaurant where they were celebrating Max's birthday.  His eyes were trained on the car ahead that held his parents and Magnus, so he didn't see the car that ran the red light.  He only looked when it ran into the driver's side.  He heard metal crunching, sirens wailing, gasps and cries from Jace and Izzy.  Then he felt the pain, and let himself float.





	hold onto me so you don't float away

Alec felt like his head was underwater, everything swirling around in a whirling maelstrom of pain and confusion.  But instead of water it was something thicker, like honey or molasses, so everything was moving sluggishly, and the noises around him were muffled so he could barely make them out.  Finally he was able to open his eyes, and the world became clearer. The storm of confusion he had been in calmed to a dull roar.

“Alec!” Magnus’s voice exclaimed.  Alec tried to turn his head toward the noise, but the lights behind him were too bright and he winced, turning his head away. “Wait, let me turn them off.” Magnus did and Alec was able to look over at his boyfriend.

Magnus sat on the edge of Alec’s bed.  His face was a mask of concern but was edged by relief. “Wha-” Alec tried to talk but his throat rebelled and the word got caught in his mouth.  Magnus fussed over him.

“It’s okay, love, don’t try to talk.  Jace and Izzy are both okay, just minor injuries.”

“Max?” Alec ignored Magnus’s advice.  Magnus looked down at their joined hands.

“He didn't make it, Alexander.  He died instantly."

Alec felt his stomach drop and he had to swallow bile that had risen in his throat.  He wasn’t unconscious but he felt the same whirling confusion as when he was before. His little brother, only eleven years old that day, dead.  Alec shook his head trying his best to breathe but he could barely get breaths in between his sobs. Magnus moved closer. Alec curled up on his side with his head resting in Magnus’s lap.  He clawed at Magnus's shirt to keep himself from floating away into the storm of his mine.

Magnus had tears of his own falling, but he kept his voice steady, trying to comfort Alec. "Breathe, darling, just breathe." Magnus finally pressed the call button like the doctor had told him to do when Alec woke. A moment later, a nurse and the doctor from earlier ran in.

The doctor tried to get through to Alec, but Alec could only shake his head and continue sobbing, too deep in his grief to do anything else. “We have to sedate him, he might hurt himself like this,” the doctor said, his tone was sympathetic.  Magnus nodded, holding Alec as he was lulled to sleep by the drugs in his system. The nurse put a hand on Magnus’s arm, smiling at him sadly before leaving again.

Magnus wiped his face before disentangling himself from Alec, pressing one last kiss to his forehead before leaving the room to find Maryse.

He spotted her down the hall, she sat in a chair with her head propped up on her hand. “Hey,” he said, putting a hand on her shoulder.  She stood up right away.

“Is he awake?  How is he? I saw the doctor going in, is something wrong?” The normal grace and sophistication she held herself with was gone, replaced with a bone deep worry that could only be felt by a mother for their child.

“He’ll be fine.  He woke and I had to tell him,” he couldn’t bring himself to say Max’s name.  “I had to tell him. He was hysterical, the doctor was afraid he would hurt himself, so they sedated him.  He’s asleep.” Maryse nodded mechanically.

“I’m going to go see him.” Magnus nodded.  He started to walk by her but she surprised him by pulling him into a quick hug before brushing by him and into Alec’s room.  Magnus stood stunned for a moment, not used to seeing her show that type of affection, before sitting in the chair she’d vacated.  He felt exhaustion take over his senses.  At this point he'd been awake for a little over twenty four hours.  He didn't know Max well, but the death of anyone as young as him was a tragedy that he wishes could have been avoided.  He'd been running on adrenaline until now and the reality of the day was starting to set in, as well as what this would truly mean for Alexander.

He'd be devastated, Magnus knew.  Broken.  But Magnus also knew he'd be there for Alec as long as he needed.  Until he was okay again.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos give me life if you're felling up to it


End file.
